1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a support system designed to work in conjunction with a full face helmet to limit the chances of cervical spinal cord injuries suffered by way of motor sports, and/or bicycle sport crashes/falls/accidents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following 16 patents and published patent applications are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,106 issued to Archie Shaffer et al. on May 26, 1964 for “Protective Football Apparatus” (hereafter the “Shaffer Patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,996 issued to Levon Antoine Varteressian on Apr. 1, 1975 for “Articulated Head and Neck Protection Apparatus” (hereafter the “Varteressian Patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,510 issued to Robert P. Hubbard on Jan. 27, 1987 for “Neck Protection Device With Occupant Of A High Performance Vehicle” (hereafter the “Hubbard Patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,339 issued to Jeffrey D. Fair on Apr. 18, 1989 for “Protective Vest Having A Cervical Collar” (hereafter the “Fair Patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,408 issued to Leonard F. Gaines on Jun. 23, 1992 for “Sports Helmet Braced For Protection Of The Cervical Spine” (hereafter the “Gaines Patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,770 issued to Richard K. Allen et al. on Dec. 28, 1993 for “Head Restraining System” (hereafter the “Allen Patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,368 issued to Richard L. Phillips on Dec. 28, 1999 for “Combination Helmet And Shoulder Pad For Minimizing Cervical Injuries” (hereafter the “Phillips Patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,430 issued to Wilson Harris Sledge on Jul. 15, 2003 for “Head And Neck Support Apparatus” (hereafter the “Sledge Patent”);
9. United States Published Patent Application No. 2004/0255368 to Greg S. Baker on Dec. 23, 2004 for “Head Stabilizing System” (hereafter the “Baker Published Patent Application);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,194 issued to Carl-Jurgen Schroth on Mar. 28, 2006 for “Restraint System For Restraining A Person In A Vehicle Of Transportation” (hereafter the “Schroth Patent”);
11. U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,747 issued to Greg S. Baker on Jan. 2, 2007 for “Head Stabilizing System” (hereafter the “Baker Patent”);
12. U.S. Pat. No. 7,430,767 issued to Scott W. Nagely on Oct. 7, 2008 for “Protective Helmet With Motion Restrictor” (hereafter the “Nagely Patent”);
13. United States Published Patent Application No. 2010/0263112 to Giovanni Mazzarolo et al. on Oct. 21, 2010 for “Neck Protective Collar With Safety Breakable Structure” (hereafter the “'0263112 Mazzarolo Published Patent Application”);
14. United States Published Patent Application No. 2010/0281606 to Michael E. Kordecki on Nov. 11, 2010 for “Protective Shoulder Pads With Release Mechanism” (hereafter the “Kordecki Published Patent Application”);
15. United States Published Patent Application No. 2011/0041240 to Giovanni Mazzarolo on Feb. 24, 2011 for “Protective Device For The Neck” (hereafter the “'0041240 Mazzarolo Published Patent Application”);
16. Russian Patent No. RU2126666C1 issued to Arturovich Jukhan Gross on Feb. 27, 1999 for “Multipurpose Protective Girdle” (hereafter the “Gross Patent”).
The Shaffer Patent which issued in 1964 discloses a protective football apparatus. It essentially has a front chest protector which can be locked in place.
The Varteressian Patent which issued in 1975 has a member which is affixed to the back of a helmet and can be rotated to various orientations to provide different degrees of protection. Specifically, the patent discloses:                “An articulated head and neck protector apparatus for limiting extreme movements of the head and neck of a person wearing a helmet and a jacket. A ball is rotatably mounted in a socket which is supported by the jacket. The socket defines a pair of transverse slots. A track is provided on the back of the helmet for slidably supporting a tracker. One end of a control arm is attached to the tracker and the other end of the arm is attached through one of the slots to the ball. A pin extends from the ball through the other slot. The arm and the pin limit the turning and twisting of the head and neck to within safe limits.”        
The Hubbard Patent is a neck protection device which effectively consists of a very stiff yolk which then extends to a stiff collar connected to the helmet. Specifically, the patent discloses:                “A neck protection device (10) for a driver (10) or other occupant of a high performance vehicle adapted to reduce motions or loading in the neck and upper torso is described. The device includes in combination a stiff yoke (12) with a high collar (11) extending up from the yoke and a set of tethers (15, 15a and 15b) for attachment to the lateral and rear portions of a helmet (16) and collar. The high collar extends upward to adjacent the center of gravity of the head and helmet which is at about eye level of the occupant. The tethers on the collar allow needed head movements and yet reduce the potential for fatigue and crash injury by carrying forces which would otherwise be transmitted through the neck and by reducing extreme motions of the neck.”Claim 1 of the patent reads as follows:        “A neck protection device for a shoulder and lap belted driver or other occupant of a high performance vehicle having forward and lateral fields of view with a helmet on the head of the occupant and with horizontal level center of gravity of the head and helmet combined at about eye level of the occupant which comprises:        (a) a stiff restraining means including lateral, front and rear portions relative to the occupant which is contoured to fit the rib cage and shoulders and around the neck of the occupant;        (b) a stiff high collar mounted on the restraining means, having lateral, front and rear portions relative to the occupant, which extends upward to adjacent the center of gravity of the head and helmet combined and adjacent the neck of the occupant around the lateral and rear portions of the restraining means and which is open at the front portion of the restraining means and allows movement of the helmeted head to provide the forward and lateral fields of view; and        (c) first fastening means mounted around the collar adjacent the center of gravity of the helmeted head for attaching a plurality of tethers between the lateral and rear portions of the collar and the helmet, wherein the tethers provide a restraint which is in a substantially horizontal plane between the helmet and the collar and wherein in normal vehicle operation or in a crash the collar transmits forces to the restraining means from the tethers thereby reducing the forces being transmitted through the neck which cause fatigue and injury in vehicle operation or in a crash.”        
The Fair Patent is a protective vest but effectively is a one-piece vest that is designed to be worn over the individual. The patent discloses:                “Disclosed is a protective vest having a collar or neck guard intended for use with helmets and, optionally, with shoulder pads or harnesses, of the types worn by players in contact sports. The protective vest has a flexible body with shoulder portions between chest and back panels. Surrounding an opening for receiving a player's neck is a raised collar, integrally formed with the body, which has an upper ring-like surface for contacting the bottom edge of the player's helmet. When contacted by the player's helmet, the collar, formed of resilient material, is placed in energy-absorbing compression. Also, the chest and back panels surrounding the collar, also being made of resilient material, are placed in a tension and compression loading, to further aid in absorbing the loading applied to the collar. The body portion and, particularly, the chest and neck panels are pliable so as to conform to the topography of the player's upper torso and to frictionally engage the player's body and any clothing in contact with the player's body underneath the protective vest, so as to provide the frictional engagement necessary for efficient energy absorption.”        
Claim 1 of the patent reads as follows:                “A protective device for use with helmets of the type worn by players in contact sports, comprising:        a flexible body of resilient material having shoulder, chest and back portions covering substantial portions of the shoulders, chest and back of a player respectively, and having a raised resilient collar immediately adjacent a central portion of the device defining an opening for the head of a wearer of the device, said raised resilient collar integrally formed with and continuously joined to said chest and said back portions so as to transmit thereto forces applied to an upper surface of said raised collar by the bottom of a helmet worn by the wearer, said body having an inner surface for frictionally engaging the body of a wearer so as to maintain said device in a preselected position about the body of a wearer so that displacement of said raised resilient collar portion is resisted with a resilient bias force which maintains said collar portion in said preselected position about the body of a wearer.”        
The Gaines Patent is for a sports helmet for protection of the cervical spine but as you can see it essentially is a contraption that goes along the back of the spine and is attached to the helmet and has various locations by which the amount of tension on the helmet can be adjusted. The patent discloses:                “A flexible support brace transfers excessive back motion of a sports helmet through a flexible interlinked brace, which floats freely between two spaced circumferential spans on the helmet during normal play but which engage with the helmet and collapses to a braced configuration if the helmet is excessively pulled back or pushed forward. In the braced configuration, helmet loads are transferred to the shoulder pads of the player directly thus transferring excessive head loads into the chest area of the player where they can be more safely absorbed.”        
The Allen Patent is a head restraining system where its major function again is to have various attachments that attach to body portions and then attach to the helmet and which can be adjusted to a specified tightness. The patent discloses:                “A head restraining system including a helmet having a chin protector formed thereon, a keeper plate overlying the shoulders, upper chest, including the sternum area, and upper back of the driver, a plurality of straps connecting the shoulder, chest and back portion of the keeper plate to aligned portions of the helmet and a pair of shoulder straps securing the keeper plate to the driver.”        
The Phillips Patent is a combination helmet and shoulder protector which includes a rod for adjusting the amount of tension between the pad protector and the helmet. Specifically, the patent discloses:                “The present invention relates to a combination shoulder pad and helmet assembly uniquely designed to protect a user from serious cervical spine injuries. The device comprises a helmet having a mounting bracket on the back portion thereof The mounting bracket has a pair of opposing embrasures in communication with and an axial, cylindrical bore. An elongated tubular rod is received within the bore having an indention at opposing ends thereof. The rod is retained within the bore using a spring biased pin received within the embrasures and the indention which also limits the rotation of the rod relative to the cylindrical bore. The spring biased pin has a concave portion proximal its head which may be selectively aligned with the rod indention to release the rod from the brackets. The opposing end of the rod is secured to a similar bracket and pin mechanism mounted to the top edge of a set of shoulder pads. Furthermore, a mid-torso protective device is secured to the lower edge of the shoulder pads. The assembly is designed to limit the movement of a football player's head relative to the body to minimize the potential for serious, paralyzing cervical injuries as well as to protect the player from breath taking blows to the abdomen.”        
In addition, Claim 1 of the patent reads as follows:                “A combination shoulder pad and helmet assembly comprising:        
a protective spherical shell for receiving and protecting a user's head having a back portion;                a mounting bracket secured to the back portion of said shell having a cylindrical, axial bore therethrough and a pair of embrasures each on an opposing side thereof in communication with said bore;        a tubular rod received within said bore having an indention proximal each end thereof;        a pin received within one of said indentions and said opposing embrasures for limiting the rotation of said tubular rod within said cylindrical bore and for securing said rod therewithin;        a shoulder protecting device having a second attachment bracket thereon, likewise having a cylindrical, axial bore and a pair of embrasures each on an opposing side thereof in communication with said bore for receiving the opposing end of said tubular rod;        a second pin received within said opposing embrasures and the other of said indentions on said tubular rod for limiting the degree of rotation of said rod within said cylindrical bore and for securing said rod therewithin.”        
The Sledge Patent deals with a head and neck support system. The apparatus discloses:                “An apparatus worn by a driver or user of vehicle: The apparatus has a yoke with an aperture sized to receive a user's head. The head of the user passes through the aperture and the yoke rests on the user's shoulders. The apparatus has two pairs of adjustable juxtaposition elongated substantially L-shaped flanges. The first pair of elongated substantially L-shaped flanges is adjustably connected to a helmet and the second pair is adjustably connected to the yoke. The helmet and second pair of elongated substantially L-shaped flanges arcuately traverse the first pair of elongated substantially L-shaped flanges in the horizontal plane thereby permitting movement of the user's head in the horizontal plane with respect to the user's field of view but preventing movement of the user's head in the vertical plane with respect to the user's field of view.”        
The Baker Published Patent Application contains a multiplicity of tethers which are attached to the helmet so that it can absorb a force and this is affixed to the structure worn on the body. Claim 1 reads as follows:                “A head stabilizing system for limiting the load acting on a wearer's head and generated by displacement, velocity, or acceleration of the wearer's head with respect to the wearer's body, comprising: a helmet; a connection structure; and at least one resisting member positioned between and connected to the helmet and the connection structure, wherein the at least one resisting member generates a reaction force that substantially opposes a crash impact force to yield a reduced net force on the head.”        
The Schroth Patent is a restraint system which essentially is designed to affix a person to a vehicle and is different from your invention. The patent discloses:                “A restraint system for restraining a person in a vehicle of transportation, includes a safety harness having length adjustable shoulder belts and a buckle for connecting the shoulder belt on a chest-side of a person and a stiff U-shaped shoulder yoke having legs, which are contoured to a torso of the person, and a high collar interconnecting the legs, whereby the shoulder belts are secured by a fastening mechanism behind the collar. The legs of the shoulder yoke and the shoulder belts have confronting sides which are formed, at least partially, with an interacting engagement structure which is configured to increase friction as the shoulder belts move in relation to the legs in longitudinal direction, while inhibiting a displacement of the shoulder belts in relation to the legs in transverse direction.”        
Claim 1 reads as follows:                “A restraint system for restraining a person in a vehicle of transportation, comprising: a safety harness having length adjustable shoulder belts and a buckle for connecting the shoulder belt on a chest-side of a person; a stiff U-shaped shoulder yoke having legs, which are contoured to a torso of the person, and a high collar interconnecting the legs; and fastening means for securing the shoulder belts behind the collar, wherein the legs of the shoulder yoke have a side in confronting relationship to a side of the shoulder belts, with the confronting sides formed, at least partially, with an interacting engagement structure which is configured to increase friction as the shoulder belts move in relation to the legs in longitudinal direction, while inhibiting a displacement of the shoulder belts in relation to the legs in transverse direction.”        
The '747 Baker Patent is not the same as but is related to the previously discussed Baker Published Patent Application and once again discloses the concept of a head stabilizing system affixed to the helmet and then affixed to a body component so that the tethers can cause the shock to be absorbed. By way of example, Claim 1 reads as follows:                “A passive head stabilizing system for limiting the load acting on a wearer's head and generated by displacement, velocity, or acceleration of the wearer's head with respect to the wearer's body, comprising: a passive resisting member having first and second ends, at least the first end being configured to be pivotably connected to another structure; a helmet mount connector configured to pivotably connect the passive resisting member to a helmet, the helmet mount connector being pivotably connected to the first end of the passive resisting member; and a harness connector configured to engage at least a portion of a safety harness of a vehicle and movable relative to the safety harness while engaging the harness, the harness connector being connected to the second end of the passive resisting member.”        
The Nagley Patent deals with a protective helmet which again has a strut member which is attached to the back of the vest worn so that the strut member can absorb the shocks through the helmet by being attached to the helmet. Claim 1 reads as follows:                “A motion restrictor device adapted for use with a protective helmet having an upper wall, two side walls, and a back wall, comprising: a force sensor adapted to be disposed adjacent the upper wall of the protective helmet; at least one strut member having first and second ends, the first end of the at least one strut member adapted to be associated with one of the walls of the protective helmet and the second end of the at least one strut member adapted to be associated with a harness assembly; the at least one strut member permitting relative motion between the first and second ends of the at least one strut member; and a locking assembly associated with the at least one strut member, and the locking assembly, upon a predetermined force being sensed by the force sensor, having a first locked configuration stopping substantially all relative motion between the first and second ends of the at least one strut member.”        
The Mazzarolo Published Patent Application discloses:                “A collar for protecting the neck of a user, useful in particular for motorcycle riders, is envisaged, said collar comprising two half-collars which are pivotably hinged together at one end so as to be rotatable in a substantially horizontal plane and which can be connected together by means of a fastening and release lever, a safety structure which at the rear extends downwards from the bottom edge of the collar so as to be centered with respect to the spinal column of the user, and a protective shield which extends downwards at the front. The safety structure has a breakable structure made of the material with an impact strength lower than the material forming the collar so as to break in a programmed manner in the event of impacts following falls.”        
The Kordecki Published Patent Application discloses the concept of a protective shoulder pad with release mechanisms. Specifically, the patent discloses:                “This invention concerns protective shoulder pads (2) having a release mechanism (7). The shoulder pads (2) protect an individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2) against impact to the superior, anterior, posterior and/or lateral regions of the shoulder and upper arm. Release mechanism (7) allows the protective shoulder pads (2) to be more safely and easily removed from the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2) while the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2) is maintained in the supine position, thus decreasing the risk of further injuring the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2).”        
The '0041240 Mazzarolo Published Patent Application discloses:                “A protective device for the neck, such as a neck brace (12), with a substantially rigid closed structure around the neck and adapted to sit on the user's torso comprises means for temporarily changing the device's shape so as to reduce the natural gap between the upper brace surface and the lower rim of the helmet (10), thereby creating a supplementary transmission path for compressive forces exerted upon the device towards the torso.”        
The Russian Patent abstract reads as follows:                “FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: left-hand on-back vertical flat sling and right-hand on-back vertical flat sling from seat with crossed loop branches of left and right0hand leg femurs. Seat loops are secured to each other rigidly at an angle of 70-120 deg. In this case, one chest and one on-back vertical slings cross on the side, and at their intersection points they are secured by moving stop elements fixing the slings at an angle and adjusting the size of the loops of left and right-hand leg femurs. Two on-back vertical slings are connected to each other by flat horizontal moving tape fixed at required height by stop elements and supporting the back. Two chest vertical slings are joined together by flat horizontal moving tape fixed by means of stop elements at required height. Rotator serves to suspend protective girdle to adjustable shock-absorbing system to force tie-rods. Protective girdle may include additionally helmet-shaped member designed to support patient's had. The member is secured to a distance force plate by flexible adjustable suspension. Helmet-shaped member is made sectional. EFFECT. Enlarged degree of patient's freedom.”        
There is a significant need for an apparatus which can be used in conjunction with a crash helmet to limit injuries to a rider which occur during a motorcycle racing crash.